A Great Way to Start the Year

I picked this book up on a whim, thinking that it had a nice cover and an appealing topic--prayers. This has turned out to be one of the most perfect books I could have chosen.

A Morning and Evening Prayerbook is exactly what it sounds like--daily, readers will find two pre-written prayers; one for morning and one for evening. Each page covers a different day of the year, with some prayers specific to the time of year (i.e., Advent, Lent, etc.). Sprinkled among these prayers are woodcut and engraved images by Albrecht Dürer that add a certain hallowed element to the text. The book also includes some handy extras, like a bibliography and suggested reading (for those who would like to dig deeper into these prayers and liturgies) and and index (so you can search prayer by author, for instance.

Now, the prayers. This is truly a treasury of prayers. The prayers come from a wide-reaching variety of sources; from Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox liturgies and greats, from the Old Testament, and all through history (including fairly recent times). Reading these prayers reminded me that our Christian faith certainly spans across time and borders.

As someone who enjoys poetry, this prayerbook is going to be the perfect daily habit for me this year. Spiritual and creative, these prayers instilled a certain reverence and joy in me as I read them. Morning prayers angle toward asking God to lead you in the day ahead, while evening prayers close out the day with more reflective prayers. When you aren't sure what to pray, this book will also make an inspirational starting point for your conversations with God. Definitely a great way to start the new year.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.